Turning adversity into growth: NUS graduates on overcoming life’s curveballs

Ask any university student about the struggles they face, and you are likely to unearth a cornucopia of answers — from tight deadlines to difficult readings to project work woes.

But some, in particular, have to overcome far greater challenges – from facing financial difficulties to managing a loved one’s illness. Two graduates in the NUS Class of 2025 in particular, have shown grit and gumption through adversity.

Sebastian Eu: From overcoming personal adversity to launching a career in finance

When he was 11 years old, Sebastian Eu’s grandparents sat him down and broke the news: his father had been in a motorbike accident in Malaysia. His right leg had been amputated, causing Sebastian’s mother to take unpaid leave from her job in a semiconductor assembly line to care for him.

That news marked a turn in the family’s fortunes. While Sebastian’s family could once afford to dine out and buy him toys and games, they now had to cut back on expenses as medical bills piled up. His mother stepped up, taking on part-time work in addition to her full-time job to pay the bills.

Seeing how hard his mother worked, he also did his best to help. “I still (wanted) to get toys and games, but I realised it was… tough on my mum,” recalled the now-27-year-old. “She could afford it, but it meant that something had to be cut elsewhere in our finances.”

He continued to be prudent, exercising frugality whenever he could. “I would go for cheaper alternatives when I was eating out, whether in school or with my friends. It helped me build my saving habits,” he added.

These childhood experiences shaped his decision to study business, which he hoped would help him secure a stable job. In 2021, Sebastian enrolled in NUS’ Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme, with his tuition fees paid for by bursaries such as the government-funded Higher Education Bursary.

Then he put his ambitions to work. Knowing that finance was a deeply competitive field, he invested his time into finding out more about the industry and networking with experts.

One of the first things he did was join the NUS Asset & Wealth Management Club, a student-led interest group that regularly invited industry professionals for sharing sessions. “I would stay behind and talk to (them),” he said, adding that the conversations sparked his curiosity about working in a private bank.

He decided to find out. After polishing his resume with the help of an NUS Business School career advisor, he successfully applied for an internship at the Bank of Singapore in his third year. It was time to suit up for corporate life.

“It was my first finance and banking stint, so I really didn’t know what to expect. I had to learn on the job,” he noted. “Things move quickly, and sometimes (the situation) can be volatile. Going to work was a refreshing experience because I wasn’t doing the same thing every day.”

Having dipped his toes into finance, Sebastian was ready to dive in headlong. In his final summer, he applied for another internship with HSBC’s global private banking division. His strong performance and dedication during the stint led to a full-time offer as a graduate analyst post-graduation.

The first person he told was his mum, who was overjoyed as she was worried whether he could find a job. But she was his inspiration. “Looking at how hard my mum worked was (one of) the reasons I pushed myself so hard,” he said.

Julia Liaw: How chance led to a career in law

Growing up, Julia Liaw spent a lot of time in libraries. The reason: She did not have a phone.

Money was tight for her family, especially with two other siblings and a mother battling chronic illnesses. So Julia whiled away her time among the shelves, devouring Enid Blyton books. She went so often that the librarian memorised her identity card number.

“That, in part, was why I decided to pursue law. It’s such a reading-inclined industry,” said Julia, 24. But her journey from libraries to law school came about by chance.

Attracted by the breadth of the curriculum, she initially applied for the liberal arts programme at Yale-NUS College. It was her mother who nudged her towards something more “practical” and encouraged her to pursue a professional degree like law. 

After doing the math and factoring in financial aid and a study award she had received from Yale-NUS, Julia realised that studying both — via the Double Degree Programme in Law and Liberal Arts — seemed like the best of both worlds, both academically and economically. She signed on the dotted line, kickstarting her university journey. But it wasn’t always easy.

“In my first year of law school, I struggled a lot academically,” Julia admitted. “It was only in my second year, after going around and seeking guidance from my peers, that I started figuring things out.” Her grades improved so much that she clinched the Most Improved Student Award and secured a place on the Dean’s List.

Despite her academic struggles, Julia continued to push herself outside her comfort zone in other ways. She volunteered as a tuition teacher and student peer counsellor, and even took up extra-curricular activities like ultimate frisbee.

“My experiences growing up contributed to the reasons why I do what I do. When I was a kid, I wished I had more tuition, but I didn’t want my parents to spend money on it,” she said. That was why she volunteered with TEACH SG, an NUS initiative that allows NUS students to mentor youth from disadvantaged families.

She also found time for pro bono work, where she helped the elderly navigate legal matters and crafted publications to raise awareness for sexual assault survivors – work that she found deeply meaningful. “Pro bono work keeps me grounded. It’s the human aspect of law,” she explained. She also joined NUS Law’s Pro Bono Group and its Mooting and Debating Club (MDC), on top of working a slew of part-time jobs outside of school for income. Her days were hectic, often packed to the brim from morning to midnight.

Her experiences challenged her and helped her grow through discomfort. One example was the B.A. Mallal Moot, Singapore’s oldest and most prestigious mooting competition, organised by the MDC.

“It made me very uncomfortable going in front of people and speaking when you can’t fully predict the questions that are coming to you. I really disliked it, but I did it because I disliked it,” she said. “It’s made me a clearer thinker, a better speaker, and someone who can see both sides of a point. These are soft skills which I think are the most valuable things I can get out of law school.”

Most importantly, she seized opportunities to have fun — such as travelling to Malaysia for an impromptu dive trip together with a group of friends from Yale-NUS. As her time at university draws to a close, she has planned her next step. Apart from joining a reputable law firm, Julia intends to continue her pro bono work as far as possible.

“I might have a high threshold for burnout – perhaps my circumstances have made things easier for me in that way,” she said with a laugh. “But there are still a lot of things for me to learn when I go into the workplace, and I am excited to grow, both as a lawyer and as a person.”

This story is part of NUS News’ coverage of Commencement 2025, which celebrates the achievements of our graduates from the Class of 2025. For more on Commencement, read our stories and graduate profiles, check out the official Commencement website, or look up and tag #NUS2025 on our social media channels!